Final answer:
Cholesterol is crucial for stabilizing cell membrane fluidity by acting as a buffer against temperature changes. It fills gaps between phospholipids, reducing fluidity at higher temperatures and preventing rigidity at lower temperatures, ensuring the membrane remains functional.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that cholesterol stabilizes the fluidity of the membrane is true. Cholesterol plays a crucial role in maintaining the fluidity of the cell membrane by acting as a buffer against the changes in temperature. At higher temperatures, it restricts excessive fluidity and at lower temperatures, it prevents the membrane from becoming too rigid.
In the structure of cellular membranes, cholesterol is interspersed between phospholipids, where it functions to adjust the fluidity and rigidity of the membrane. The presence of more cholesterol generally makes the membrane more rigid by filling in the spaces between phospholipid molecules, while also helping to maintain fluidity at a range of temperatures.
In summary, cholesterol is vital for the cell membrane’s ability to function properly across various temperatures. It ensures that the membrane remains semi-permeable and that essential processes involving membrane components, like protein function and ion permeability, are optimized.